Concrete walls are commonly constructed by pouring wet concrete between opposing front and back plywood forms and allowing the concrete to cure. After the concrete cures, the forms are removed.
An effective method of holding the forms together is to employ a tie and rod assembly. Tie and rod assemblies typically include a plurality of ties that extend between the front and back forms. The ties have looped ends which extend through slots in the front and back forms. The ties are held in place by rods that are passed through the looped ends of the ties along the exterior surfaces of the front and back forms. Contact between the rods and the exterior surfaces of the front and back forms prevents the looped ends of the ties from being pulled back through the slots in the front and back forms. In this manner, the ties hold the forms in place as wet concrete is poured between the forms. After the concrete has cured, the rods are removed from the looped ends of the ties thereby allowing the forms to be removed from the concrete wall. The ties are typically left within the wall while the looped ends extending out of the wall are typically broken off with a tool.
A problem with tie and rod assemblies is that it is often difficult to pass the rods through the looped ends of the ties. The problem is intensified around areas where structures such as framing for doors and windows, stops for plumbing and electrical lines, block-outs, end caps, and spacers are located between the forms. In these areas, the structures prevent the front and back forms from being drawn together thereby making it difficult to pull the end loops of the ties completely through the slots in the front and back forms. Because the end loops are only partially exposed, there is insufficient clearance to pass the rods through the end loops. The difficult process of trying to force the rods through the partially exposed tie loops is time consuming and results in increased construction costs. Additionally, ties are commonly broken or damaged while workers attempt to force rods through partially exposed looped ends. Damaged ties increase the likelihood of form blow out when concrete is poured between the forms.